Sunflower Lemon

12"x12" oil on Canvas

Had so much fun painting this one, my favorite things!!!

Value Scale IV

Value Scale

Step IV

The value scale is the most important element of design.  The old masters used a technique called Grisaille, a painting executed entirely in monochrome, usually in shades of grey. 

Value scale refers to the gradual movement from black to gray to white.  A value that is on the upper portion of the value scale is known as being in “high key”.  And a value that is located on the lower portion of the value scale is known as “low key”.

 Mix all 3 primaries together (AC+PB+G) it will make a black, but you can push the black toward a color of black.

If you want to see what value a color/pigment is right out of the tube you can paint a swatch onto a piece of paper.  Then place it next to the value scale on the pocket color wheel.

When the artist is working a flat, two dimensional surface, as in drawing and painting, , in order to create three dimensional, rounded or projecting objects, he or she must rely on illusion alone.  A circle is rendered into a ball by using smooth, transitional values, gently moving from dark to light,  whereas a box needs abrupt value changes to show that the light is different around its corners, top, and the side facing the viewer.  Broken values re what causes us to see texture.

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their patience and input during the first week of class. It truly was a learning experience. The new workshop will be hosted by Ruzuku (www.ruzuku.com).  I'm working with them to have the workshop ready to go live on March 15th, 2014.  This is a great workshop for those wanting to draw a little, paint a little and have a "artist journal" of their daily adventures at home, on a vacation, or  a day trip to a Farmers Market.  The class will run 4 weeks for a cost of $49.00, registration will open on March 1, 2014. 




Sketchbook Watercolor Adventure

Lets take an adventure with our sketchbook!  

Join me for this exciting on line Workshop.  We will take daily adventures into a loose, quick journal format style of sketching and painting.  We will use daily "adventures" to create a beautiful, creative and inspiring sketchbook. Our first week we will travel to the Farmers Market to explore Fruits & Vegetables.  Our adventure will continue for 4 weeks traveling into a Botanical Garden of Herbs & Flowers, discover how to draw your favorite things in week 3 and in the final week we will take a "Spring Break" discovering the Beach.

Each week you'll receive an email which will link you to that weeks adventure.  The "lesson" is available 24/7 and you will receive a downloadable  step-by-step "map" for traveling to that weeks lesson.  There will be videos and examples from my sketchbook to support the lessons.  Just like a real workshop you will be able to see fellow students sketchbook pages and you will be able to post your own sketchbook pages (only if you want to share).  I will follow up each week with comments and suggestions on that weeks project.

This class is designed for beginners, but all levels are welcome. 
 

Join me on March 15th, 2014, for the adventure that will last a lifetime!
Registration opens March 1st, 2014.

 

  

We Made It!  Week #4
Thanks YOU for being a part of my first online Workshop!

I hope you have learned why color theory is a must.  I too have learned so much about creating an on line workshop. We certainly had our problems in Week #1 (I have a few more gray hairs).  I have partnered with Kuzuku, an on line hosting workshop company.  I've been working with their team to create my next on line workshop which will start March 1, 2014.  (Previews Coming Soon)

This week we will learn about Mixing Colors of Dark, Colors of Orange & Brown, and finally the Value Scale.  The Magnolia painting above is an example of why you need Colors of Dark.  Not only does it create a contrast between light and dark, but it creates a radiant light.  I took a workshop from Sue Archer (if you don't know her work, look her up), she mixed a variety of "Colors of Dark" in small plastic containers that she has on hand when needed.  These are the final colors after about 3 layers each.  Make sure you dry before adding another layer.

Colors of Dark

Impatience 11x14

The painting Impatiences is a good example of Colors of Orange & Brown.  Most tube colors end up drying flat.  When you mix a variety of Oranges, with the Gamboge plus Cadmium Red you get a bright clean Orange. Gamboge has Red, Cadmium Red has Yellow, they are in the same family.  As you can see when you mix Alizarin Crimson, which has blue with Permanent Yellow,  also has Blue you are adding the Complement of Orange (Blue). 
Over the years of teaching Watercolor Theory most students have said they would not have done the exercises without the workbook.  So I hope that you finish, you will have a great reference in the future.  A few of my students, using the workbook as a starting point, have made "Color Charts" to hang in their studios.

***** Value Scale Video will be uploaded later this week.  I have a terrible cold & sore throat!*****

The Value Scale has always been a tough one!  I took a workshop a few years ago, that we spent one whole day making a value scale on watercolor paper.  She had us glaze one layer after another to get the desired value.( 7 hours?)  Make it easy on yourself, use your Pocket Color Wheel to help with this exercise.  Take a look at the color wheel below, next to the color wheel is a couple samples of  paint to show how dark they are right out of the tube.  Some pigments may only have a value 5 or 4 at it's darkest.  Use this color wheel to determine what the value is at it's darkest, adding water as you create the value.  If you are doing Oils or Acrylics us a touch of White Paint to lighten the value.

Back about 10/12 years ago I flew across country during a major airline strike!  I had finally landed a spot in a Jan Kunz workshop in Bend, Oregon.  It was a dream come true, so I told Dick I will fly as far as I can, then I will get a car, train or bus.  I didn't care I was going to that workshop.  It changed my life and how I would paint from that week of discovery.  If you notice in the above photograph, above the color wheel is a value scale with Jan Kunz on it.  Also notice the "heart" cut out at the top.  This was for her 40% rule.  When you paint the shadow of an object, it should be 40% darker than the natural color of that object.  Well, try it!  Place the "heart" opening over the object at it natural color,(squint, when the color of the object disappears. that the correct value) then go up the value scale 4 shades.  That is the value of your shadow!  Your eyes won't believe it, but a white petal will be 1 or 2, but in shadow it will be 5 or 6.  Try this in your next painting.  Let me know how it turns out!

The Workshop Blog will be up until April 1st!
Enjoy!


 Preview of the March Workshop Coming Soon!

Video - Colors of Gray

Colors of Gray  Week #3

Last week we talked about mixing clean colors and why we can grayed down colors. 

This week we want to mix Colors of Gray.  You always need to have “rest stops” or an area that  makes the eye rest in your painting.  

The most unique thing about Colors of Gray is that it  makes the pure pigment look brighter, especially when you use the colors of grays that is its complement.

In this exercise on page 12 Fig 9 we mix a base Gray that is
Ultramarine Blue+Alizarin Crimson+Gamboge (3 primaries)

Mix a large puddle.

Using the base Gray move a couple brush loads to the side, add more Ultramarine Blue (Blue Gray)

Take the base Gray and Add More Alizarin (Violet Gray)

Even more Alizarin to push the color toward Rose Gray

Add more Gamboge Tan

More Gamboge for Yellow Gray

More Gamboge + French Ultramarine Blue Making it more Green Gray

Challenge yourself to figure out the complement…..

Use the complement color wheel as a guide

Stop the video here !

Lets now add the complement into the square……

Blue Gray = Orange  Look At the Color Complement on Page

Violet Gray =Gamboge

Rose Gray = Green

Tan Gray = French Ultramarine Blue

Yellow Gray = Violet 

Green Gray = Alizarin Crimson

Colors of Green Fig 10a & 10b

Greens have always the biggest challenge …..A lot of watercolorist purchased tubed colors, I’m not staying that is a bad idea.  But why not make your own personal statement with your Greens.  I feel you must first understand how to mix all those wonderful Colors of Green.  Of course there are a few Colors of Green that you can’t mix.  First understand the mixing process, then go out and purchased a few of those beautiful Greens that mixes just isn’t quite as good. 

Using the 2 Colors of Blue on the Color theory Palette with the 2 Yellows to make a forest of beautiful array of Greens.

Starting with French Ultramarine Blue as the base Blue:

Permanent Yellow Gamboge French Ultramarine Blue Cadmium Red and Alizarin Crimson

Now mix Permanent Yellow + French Ultramarine Blue

Using that same mix add a touch of Cadmium Red, Mix another puddle of PY & FUB and add a touch of Alizarin Crimson

Mix Gamboge with FUB then add a touch of Cadmium Red\Mix another Gamboge + FUB and add a touch of Alizarin Crimson.

You could mix all these combinations to fill several pages of Green…..See how many you can make and add them to your book

Week #2 Color Scheme

The first week was trying!!!  to say the least.  I think all is well in cyber space.  This week has gone very smooth.  I made the blog public so that anyone could get in.  A couple of years ago I took a marketing class on line.  She used Blogger.  Things have change....Google owns Blogger, so I don't understand why they have so many problems.  I contact a new on line workshop hosting company.  You upload your info and they send it out.  So if we survive the next 2 weeks I will have the next on line workshop with them.  I truly appreciate all the input from attendees, thank you so much for hanging in there.

Week #2 is about Color Scheme Layouts
I recently took a workshop with Robert Burridge, if you ever get a chance and want to experiment with acrylics and collage, this is the workshop.  He uses Color Theory in a different way.  He has a dominate color, a secondary color, then he throws in a spice color.  His work is Happy & Fun.

Mixes clean colors has always been a challenge for beginning artist.  Working with the "personalities of each pigment" will give you the basic understanding how to get bright clean colors while understanding how to get those beautiful shadow colors.

Next week we will explore the "colors of gray".  Many years ago I took a workshop from Jeanie Dobbie, her book Making Color Sing is still very popular.  She calls her gray colors Mouse Colors.  This is still a must have book in my library.

If you have any questions please leave a comment or send me a email....
Happy Painting!

Wednesday Afternoon!

The workshop is "Public"meaning all you have to do is go to

http://maryspiresworkshop.blogspot.com

I can't fight with blogger another day....they keep changing what's up!!!! or what's down.  They are all not on the same page.

I truly appreciate all the "support" and effort.....next workshop we will do another venue.

If you have any problems, from now, let me know.....

I will post next Monday with Step I & II.....

Thanks So Much
Mary

Another DAY!!!

Morning,

Yesterday was a Day to remember!

If you are in Please email me....I still have a couple of "attendees" that are in cyber space.


The first lesson is about the General Color Wheel.  I had a question about why 2 warms and one cool on the Color Wheel.  The General Color Wheel isn't about warm or cool.  It just a basic Red, Yellow & Blue.  My Red on that wheel was Cadmium Red, I wanted it to show up on the video.  I use Alizarin Crimson with most color mixes. I usually use Ultramarine Blue as my base Blue.  Blue is the most versatile color on the wheel.  I use it  to go over backgrounds when I want them more harmonies.